Monday, June 30, 2008
Wesley Clark on the Warpath
Wesley Clark levels his rhetorical guns at John McCain, stating that McCain lacks the executive experience needed to be president.
Presumably, McCain's post POW service as a capable squadron commander doesn't count, while the absolute hash Hillary made of HillaryCare in 1993 is just the ticket, as is Obama's decades of executive experience as... well, as a "community organizer."
At any rate, Clark looks at more than 25 years as a legislator and a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy, and finds McCain, in relation to Obama, "untested and untried."
Laughable.
"I don't think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become President," says Clark, who endorsed the far less distinguished career of John F. Kerry and the non-existent military careers of John Edwards and Obama at various times. I wonder just what experiences Obama brings to the table as a (snicker) "community organizer" that McCain lacks that qualify Obama to become president.
For crying out loud, Clark has a tin ear. But get ready for more of this, as Obama sends his minion orcs to try to undercut a key McCain differentiator - his military career.
Neptunus Lex, himself a career Navy officer, has more.
For my take on Clark, click here.
My sense is that the top two retired four-star pro-Obama partisans, Clark and McPeak, are curious choices, because both of them do not appear to have been well-liked or respected in the ranks.
That's not as big a deal to me as one would think. A lot of fine officers were detested in the ranks. At least until they brought victories under their command. For example, Patton, Stonewall Jackson, Douglas MacArthur, etc. But it's curious to me that both of these guys seem to be cut from the same mold... more along the lines of Old Fuss & Feathers than Omar Bradley.
Splash, out
Jason
Presumably, McCain's post POW service as a capable squadron commander doesn't count, while the absolute hash Hillary made of HillaryCare in 1993 is just the ticket, as is Obama's decades of executive experience as... well, as a "community organizer."
At any rate, Clark looks at more than 25 years as a legislator and a distinguished career in the U.S. Navy, and finds McCain, in relation to Obama, "untested and untried."
Laughable.
"I don't think getting in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to become President," says Clark, who endorsed the far less distinguished career of John F. Kerry and the non-existent military careers of John Edwards and Obama at various times. I wonder just what experiences Obama brings to the table as a (snicker) "community organizer" that McCain lacks that qualify Obama to become president.
For crying out loud, Clark has a tin ear. But get ready for more of this, as Obama sends his minion orcs to try to undercut a key McCain differentiator - his military career.
Neptunus Lex, himself a career Navy officer, has more.
For my take on Clark, click here.
My sense is that the top two retired four-star pro-Obama partisans, Clark and McPeak, are curious choices, because both of them do not appear to have been well-liked or respected in the ranks.
That's not as big a deal to me as one would think. A lot of fine officers were detested in the ranks. At least until they brought victories under their command. For example, Patton, Stonewall Jackson, Douglas MacArthur, etc. But it's curious to me that both of these guys seem to be cut from the same mold... more along the lines of Old Fuss & Feathers than Omar Bradley.
Splash, out
Jason
Labels: McCain, Politics, Wesley Clark
Comments:
Jason --
Not withstanding the rest of the garbage posited by Clark, this is the part that got me fired up:
"When asked by host Bob Schieffer how he came to describe McCain as “untested and untried,” Clark said it was “because in the matters of national security policy-making, it’s a matter of understanding risk. It’s a matter of gauging your opponents and it’s a matter of being held accountable. John McCain’s never done any of that in his official positions,” adding, “He hasn’t made the calls.”
For a former General Officer to assert that ANY military leader hasn't made the calls concerning "understanding risk", "gauging opponents", and "being held accountable" displays a level of chutzpah that prior to this, would (or should) have been inconceivable. Risk management, threat awareness, and accountability are basic fundamentals for anybody serving, regardless of rank or position. The fact that Wes Clark could sit in front of a TV camera and say this with a straight face only serves to demonstrate the complete lack of intellectual and moral integrity that Wes Clark is willing to engage in. What a piece of work!
Not withstanding the rest of the garbage posited by Clark, this is the part that got me fired up:
"When asked by host Bob Schieffer how he came to describe McCain as “untested and untried,” Clark said it was “because in the matters of national security policy-making, it’s a matter of understanding risk. It’s a matter of gauging your opponents and it’s a matter of being held accountable. John McCain’s never done any of that in his official positions,” adding, “He hasn’t made the calls.”
For a former General Officer to assert that ANY military leader hasn't made the calls concerning "understanding risk", "gauging opponents", and "being held accountable" displays a level of chutzpah that prior to this, would (or should) have been inconceivable. Risk management, threat awareness, and accountability are basic fundamentals for anybody serving, regardless of rank or position. The fact that Wes Clark could sit in front of a TV camera and say this with a straight face only serves to demonstrate the complete lack of intellectual and moral integrity that Wes Clark is willing to engage in. What a piece of work!
Funny that Bob Schieffer was so incredulous during the interview. "I'm sorry, I must have sat on my thumb for a sec. What was that?"
Didn't know Omar Bradley was that popular. Thought anyone who promoted himself as a "Soldier's General" (someone uses that line to describe Bradley in "Patton," which Bradley was a consultant for) was a crock of shit. Or maybe I'm way off-base here.
Didn't know Omar Bradley was that popular. Thought anyone who promoted himself as a "Soldier's General" (someone uses that line to describe Bradley in "Patton," which Bradley was a consultant for) was a crock of shit. Or maybe I'm way off-base here.
# posted by 
: 4:58 PM
: 4:58 PM
No, unfortunately McPeak served his full term as CSAF and therefore had more time to screw things up. He became CSAF (IIRC) to replace the previous one that was relieved during DESERT SHIELD form making comments to the press.
There's no requirement that the troops like a senior officer, or even that they don't hate their guts. but they do need to respect their seniors. McPeak was not respected by almost anyone I knew on active duty or afterwards, and his programs and pronouncements would have been laughing stocks if their impact on morale and operational effectiveness hadn't been so severe.
I knew a lot of old line SAC troops that hated Curtis Lemay's guts, but not one of them ever indicated any lack of respect for him.
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There's no requirement that the troops like a senior officer, or even that they don't hate their guts. but they do need to respect their seniors. McPeak was not respected by almost anyone I knew on active duty or afterwards, and his programs and pronouncements would have been laughing stocks if their impact on morale and operational effectiveness hadn't been so severe.
I knew a lot of old line SAC troops that hated Curtis Lemay's guts, but not one of them ever indicated any lack of respect for him.
# posted by : 1:24 PM
: 1:24 PM
